At the Pierceton Town Council meeting on Monday, July 10, at the Pierceton Community Building are, from left: Town Council President Matt Brubaker, Member Tom Barker and Vice President Janet Castle. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

PIERCETON — Pierceton plans to spend its $200,000 from the K21 Health Foundation on improvements at Pierceton-Washington Township Park.

At its meeting on Monday, July 10, the Pierceton Town Council approved the measure. K21 granted nearly all the towns in Kosciusko County up to $200,000 in 2019 to use for health and wellness measures.

The Pierceton Park Board and Town Superintendent Casey Boggs had compiled a list of items they wished to see done with the money and provided it to the council.

The council approved a narrowed-down list of options on Monday. It also plans to use $10,000 it received from the Kosciusko County Community Foundation and other money it has in a non-reverting fund for the improvements.

Those include: fixing dugouts; redoing the tennis courts at the park and adding space for pickleball; repairing concrete bases at park pavilions; replacing partitions in the park bathrooms; putting in a basketball court; and extending Pierceton Elementary School’s sidewalk to Seventh Street.

The town is waiting to see if Whitko Community Schools will contribute some funds for the sidewalk as it will help the corporation’s students. If the corporation does, the town can use some of its extra monies to put in concrete bean bag toss boards and new grills at the park.

In other business, the council:

• Heard from Surf Internet’s Scott Franko the company is interested in putting fiber internet in the area. No formal decision was made on the matter at the meeting.
• Heard from Pastor Eric Trump with the Harvest Community Church in Pierceton that a group with the Pierceton Christian Community Facebook page has organized a back to school event for Sunday, Aug. 6, at Pierceton Elementary School. Tentatively it will be from 2-6 p.m. and it’s aimed at students of that school, although others also may come. Free haircuts will be offered as well as shoes given away. If people wish to donate for it, they should contact Trump at (574) 551-9328.
• Approved a bid from Phend & Brown of $125,896 to repave streets using the town’s Indiana Department of Transportation Community Crossings Matching Grant money. The following streets will be worked on: West Wayne Street from First Street to Arnolt Drive; Village Street from Church Street to South End; Church Street from Maple Street to Village Street; Tulip Street, also known as North Street, from First Street to West End; and West Pine Street, also known as Church Avenue, from First Street to Seventh Street.
• Renewed its fire department contract with Washington Township for another six months. The town is paying the township $7,000 for fire coverage.

The council’s next meeting is 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 14, at the Pierceton Community Building.